No voice

Life is difficult when you have no voice. There are so many things you want to say but fear holds you back. Fear of being rejected, fear of being scorned, and fear of being criticized. You feel powerless. You can't get your point across, you get upset and in the end you stop trying altogether. It takes a lot of courage and a huge amount of practice. Baby steps. It's a long journey, a long road and I'm still on it. I've only just begun to take those first, small steps. What I've learnt is that it all comes down to self-love. If we don't speak up, if we don't let people know when something is unacceptable, if we don't set healthy boundaries, if we don't protect ourselves, how can we expect others to do the same? We have to start with ourselves. We have to lead by example. Yes it's hard and yes it's uncomfortable but that's where the growth happens, that's where the magic happens, when we stretch ourselves, when we venture outside our comfort zone, when we push ourselves. So be brave and take those first steps. Write it down. Get it off your chest. Open your mouth and let those words out, let them breathe, let them be heard and watch your life unfold. The words on the following pages reflect a series of difficult times in my life. They inspired me to start writing and throughout the process of writing these poems, I began the healing journey to find my voice. Thank you to all the situations and people that set me on this path. Thank you to spirit for always being there, guiding me and keeping me safe. Thanks to my family and friends for their unconditional love and support. This book and my poems are dedicated to all those who feel invisible, who feel unheard.